India has constituted a high-level task force under Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Nripendra Mishra with the aim to stop river waters going waste in Pakistan.
“The government wants to ensure surplus water for farmers in border states of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. This can easily be done by stopping water from Indian rivers which flows into Pakistan from going waste there,” a source said.
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The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 covers the water distribution and sharing rights of six rivers — Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.
“Framework for the task force on Indus Water Treaty has been prepared. The task force will comprise 6 to 7 members and will be formed within a week,” the source said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently said that Sutlej, Beas, Ravi waters belong to India and is not being used in Pakistan. “Every drop of this water will be stopped and would be given to farmers of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir,” Modi had said.
Meanwhile, the World Bank which had brokered the treaty in 1960, has paused the separate processes initiated by India and Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty to allow the two countries to consider alternative ways to resolve their disagreements.
India had criticised the World Bank’s decision to set up a Court of Arbitration to look into Pakistan’s complaint against it over Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
Read more: India’s water cannot be allowed to go to Pakistan: PM Modi